I’ve not ever read a Tanizaki novel that was absent of merit or one
that I did not enjoy. His breezy style, coupled with his moments of humor, make
all of his books entertaining on one level, yet he also carries a psychological
depth within his characters, often revealing them as flawed and yet creating
them in such a way that causes the audience to empathize with them. Quicksand
is no different.

While Quicksand is not as humorous as Naomi and not as
lyrical and deep as Some Prefer Nettles, it is still a very good book,
and in the best sense, a fast character-driven read. The novel centers around
four characters: Sonoko Kakiuchi, who is a lawyer’s wife, a young woman with
ethereal beauty named Mitsuko, Sonoko’s lawyer husband, and Mitsuko’s male
love interest, Watanuki. The tale is delivered in first person, from Sonoko’s
point of view, and she soon reveals herself to be a very selfish, troubled
woman.

While taking an art class, Sonoko meets Mitsuko and is captivated by her
beauty. The two begin chatting it up, till rumors surface that they are having a
lesbian affair. So in light of such, they begin to act on the rumors, where
Mitsuko will visit Sonoko’s house for hours at a time, posing nude for her,
with the intention of Sonoko painting her. Nothing, however, ever gets painted
and soon Sonoko’s husband begins to suspect something going on. He doesn’t
like the way Mitsuko has invaded into their lives, and how willing Sonoko has
been to surrender herself to her. The two women begin referring to one another
as “sister” and even though Sonoko is older, she is the one forced to defer
to the younger Mitsuko and her manipulation.

When Sonoko’s husband asks his wife to stop seeing Mitsuko, she
refuses. Then, when Sonoko begins to detect Mitsuko’s emotional manipulation,
she begins to crave the love of her husband. Yet, when she discovers Mitsuko
might be pregnant and in needing of help, the two reunite and she dismisses her
previous feelings towards her husband, and once again craves the attention of
Mitsuko.

As the tale continues, events are played out and not as they seem—those
who are believed to have been behind the entire scheme are later found to be
innocent, and then maybe not. The relationship begins to get more complex when
Watanuki, Mitsuko’s love interest, becomes involved. Both Sonoko and Watanuki
sign a pact with their own blood where they promise to be the only lovers of
Mitsuko. Eventually, suicides are faked, and results are tragic. The quicksand,
of course, is the obvious obsession that has managed to pull each of them in,
making them unable to manage or move without tragic outcomes or sinking deeper
into it.

In a sense, Quicksand is one of those tales one knows will be
tragic before even reading, (if the title isn’t already a clue) for none of
the characters are capable of seeing the results of their own actions. Sonoko,
for all her so-called victimization, cannot see her own flaws and how her own
obsessive jealousy is just as much to blame as Mitsuko’s dishonesty. No one
trusts one another and yet they try to, only to then be hurt with some kind of
indication that they’ve been lied to. At some moments, the realizations are
genuine and at other times the characters still linger in denial.

Mitsuko is a classic type of character found in Japanese literature—the
beautiful girl whose beauty verges on perfection, and yet she is selfish,
spoiled and manipulative. Tanizaki touches upon a similar type character in Naomi,
as has Kawabata in a number of his own works. Though Mitsuko is different from
Naomi (in the beginning readers sympathize with the young Naomi as opposed to
Mitsuko, who is just a brat the entire time), both manage to successfully
manipulate those around them to the point of getting others to do whatever they
want.

This is no better shown in Quicksand, where the young Mitsuko has
become the central link between the marriage of Sonoko and her husband. She
forces them to regularly perform an act against their will, and anytime either
one protests, Mitsuko throws a temper tantrum. The end too, is not only tragic
in one sense, but also delusional, for after the event has unfolded, Sonoko is
still convinced the others conspired against her. Yet after witnessing the
ordeal among them, the “tragic” end likely is best for all of them.

Tanizaki is highly ranked writer on my “having read and will continue
to read” pile and I recommend any of his books. Though I’ve not read them
all, Quicksand is my fifth Tanizaki work I’ve read and despite the
seemingly dour subject matter, the book is highly entertaining, well-written and
can be breezed through in a couple of sittings. Although not as great as Some
Prefer Nettles and as humorous as Naomi, Quicksand is a work
worthy of examination.

[An expurgated version of this
article originally appeared on the Blogcritics
website.]